LEADING & LEARNING
Leading & Learning Our vision is to integrate
learning opportunities for educators so that professional learning is embedded in district culture and is no longer limited to events that occur periodically each year. We create opportunities for administrators and teachers to participate in regional professional learning communities, and have expanded our capacity to provide coaching to districts that are engaged in personalized, competency-based learning. We support the implementation of systems and structures to provide deep and impactful learning, both in our region, and beyond.
2020-2021 HIGHLIGHTS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The EASTCONN Center for Educational Leadership (CEL)
Both virtually and in-person, CEL offers education leaders access to regional communities of practice, as well as coaching and adult-centered learning opportunities that help them examine the nature of leadership in today’s world. Administrators and other district leaders benefit from interactive, experiential activities that are dedicated to evidence-based practices and personal reflection.
• Leadership Coaching: CEL staff provided in-person,
customized coaching to 22 school and district leaders, addressing their unique school needs and challenges. We utilized the Connecticut Leadership Framework to guide discussions, while supporting new and veteran leaders with their current initiatives, challenges and opportunities.
EASTCONN Annual Board Update 2021
“As a whole, I think
EASTCONN has done a fantastic job over the last year when it comes to providing interesting and relevant PDs that are presented by people who seem to really get it! “ – Melissa Lessard, Teacher, Eastford Public Schools
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LEADING & LEARNING | HIGHLIGHTS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS | 2020-2021
• Strategic Advancement Planning: We
facilitated strategic planning in 1 district, leading to customized action plans for district advancement. We engaged stakeholders in an analysis of the current state of education, generating “skinny” plans for implementation.
• Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): Through a
cross-divisional effort, we created an action plan that coordinates services to districts, including professional learning integrated with SEL support. As a result of COVID-19, SEL for students and staff has become central to all of CEL’s work. We have supported 725+ educators and leaders through in-district coaching and professional learning.
• District-Based Leadership Academy: 8
aspiring leaders from a member district engaged in a multi-year cohort of professional learning, leading to increased coherence and the systemic alignment of key district initiatives.
Educator Evaluation Planning & Support
Professional Development & Evaluation Committee (PDEC)
Our Center for Educational Leadership (CEL) education specialists continued to support PDEC committees in 1 EASTCONN-region district, contributing to increased coherence between teacher evaluation, student performance data and professional development. Such supportive professional learning strategies led to the improved alignment of strategic initiatives across the district.
Professional Learning: Regional & Local
Embedded In-District Support & Training
Provided 377 days of on-site, embedded PD and support in 15 districts. We implemented customized professional learning plans for a variety of transformational foci, including the transition to personalized, competency-based learning (PCBL), integrating SEL and academics with curriculum, instruction and assessment development, blended learning models, essential standards and content curriculum work.
Reading & Writing Workshop Model
Supported implementation of the Reading & Writing Workshop model for area educators; staff provided professional learning in 9 districts for more than 250 teachers.
“[Your staff member] is professional,
knowledgeable and always eager to support. It is evident in her hard work that she has a passion for education. [She] cares deeply about student success, as well as the success of the teachers she coaches. [She] is a pleasure to work with and we are grateful to have her here with us.“ – Victoria Morin, Sterling Community School, Sterling Public Schools
725+ Educators & leaders were supported by EASTCONN’s CEL specialists this year, through in-district coaching & professional learning 2. Leading & Learning
EASTCONN Annual Board Update 2021
LEADING & LEARNING | HIGHLIGHTS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS | 2020-2021
“What the state also recognizes is that the RESC Alliance is a
critical partner in this work ... The TEAM program doesn’t happen without the cooperation of the RESCs – and EASTCONN is one of the key coordinators of this work. In order to maintain TEAM, we had to bring the players back to the table.“ – Christopher Todd, CSDE Talent Office Bureau Chief Essential Standards Identification
We regionally facilitated 8 districts in the process of identifying essential standards in English Language Arts, Math and Science. The final products of essential and supporting standards will serve as a basis for instruction and assessment, as they return from COVID-19.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math)
Two (2) districts used our EASTCONN Mobile STEM Laboratory, through which our STEM Lab specialist was able to provide both virtual and live-streamed lessons, despite not being able to travel on-site due to COVID-19.
Mathematics
Provided district-embedded professional learning, modeling and coaching to math educators in 3 districts, addressing Connecticut Core Standards for mathematics and readiness for the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) assessment.
Regional Professional Learning, In-Person & Online KnowledgeWorks
A multi-year partnership with KnowledgeWorks, a highly regarded national organization, provided professional learning and leadership coaching to 3 districts and 3 EASTCONN schools, including 50+ educators. The development of EASTCONN Education Fellows has positioned the agency to support transformational implementation and provide deep learning to interested districts.
Webinars & Video-Conferences During COVID-19
Throughout the pandemic, Leading & Learning staff have offered critical online supports to district educators. The EASTCONN Regional Staff Development Council
has offered dozens of weekly video-conferences with member-district school administrators, providing an interactive forum for peer support, educational, national and statewide developments, and other resources. Other Leading & Learning staff designed and delivered a series of interactive, free, weekly webinars and video-conferences, supporting the teaching and learning needs of a blended learning environment. Among the topics presented were personalized connections; blended learning models; the effective use of online platforms; integrating socialemotional learning into curricula, and more.
Other Teaching & Learning Initiatives Teacher Education And Mentoring (TEAM) Collaborative
EASTCONN continued to contribute to the success of this statewide initiative, which enabled 224 schools and districts statewide to enroll more than 3,121 beginning teachers and 2,430 mentors in the CSDE’s important TEAM program. Using the EASTCONN-built-and-managed interactive, online platform and support network enables TEAM District Facilitators and Mentors to collaborate and support beginning teachers throughout the module and reflectionpaper process. We provided 6 virtual TEAM training sessions for 97 new Mentors and Reviewers and updated and certified 37 current Mentors, using the new, EASTCONN-created Habilis Learning Suite.
“[EASTCONN staff member’s] method of
modeling and working with students in a lab setting has been a powerful learning tool for our teachers to help them envision what it could look like within their own classroom.“ – Jodi Kryzanski, Program Director, Avon Public Schools
224 Schools & districts statewide continued to support 3,121 new teachers through the CSDE’s TEAM mentoring program; this year, EASTCONN provided 6 virtual TEAM trainings for 97 TEAM Mentors & 37 Reviewers EASTCONN Annual Board Update 2021
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LEADING & LEARNING | HIGHLIGHTS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS | 2020-2021
Title III Consortium for English Learners
Twenty-four (24) districts participated in this regional consortium, enabling them to access more than $48,000 in resources to support the teaching and learning of English Learners (ELs).
Perkins Consortium
We distributed almost $70,000 and provided support to 6 districts through this federally funded grant, and helped participants define goals for Continuous Improvement Plans that will: strengthen their Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs; build college-career pathways; and increase the size and scope of their CTE programs.
Community Arts Connection After-School Program
This after-school program at Windham Heights was significantly impacted by COVID-19; pre-pandemic attendance was 50 students; this year, 6-10 students attended regularly. Nevertheless, staff led daily Zoom lessons for students that included help with homework, science experiments, drawing lessons and, weather permitting, outdoor nature hikes. Through a new partnership with CLiCK Willimantic, a multi-cultural and multi-service community kitchen, students attended weekly nutrition and wellness classes that included a hands-on cooking activity.
Interdistrict Grants
Our grant facilitators led 4 state-funded grant programs that provided integrated learning experiences for more than 1,100 students representing 14 rural and urban Connecticut school districts. Students engaged with racially, culturally and economically diverse peers from different regions. This year’s themes included diversity and cultural competency; mindful practices to develop social and emotional understanding and self-regulation; the food cycle from growth, production and distribution; and cultural explorations through the arts.
“Over the years, I have noticed the long-term
effect of Farming Our Land and Sea [FLS] in a way that my past students come back and still recall the program. I have had several say they still have the ‘calming bottles’ they made, or letters from their pen pals. The impact of the FLS engaging activities are astounding.” – Jessica Sager, Teacher, Windham Public Schools
1,100 Students from 14 rural & urban Connecticut school districts attended our CSDE-funded Interdistrict Grant programs, intended to improve students’ academic performance & their appreciation of diversity 4. Leading & Learning
EASTCONN Annual Board Update 2021
LEADING & LEARNING | HIGHLIGHTS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS | 2020-2021
“Participating in [EASTCONN’s] Farming Our Land and Sea grant has allowed my students to continue
opening up their perspective to the world around them. When I introduced the Pen Pal Letter Project, they were ecstatic that they would be able to learn about someone outside of our own school system.” – Emily Moreau, Teacher, Brooklyn Public Schools
Leading & Learning Councils
Due to COVID-19, we continued to host and facilitate free virtual regional councils across a wide variety of content areas, all designed to provide member districts with opportunities to share resources, information and professional learning. Participation was impacted by COVID-19. Minutes and resources were shared to accommodate learning for all.
• English Learners Roundtable: In partnership
with LEARN, 12 districts took part in discussions focused on emerging trends in instruction for English Learners. Participants shared best practices and received updates from CSDE Consultant Megan Alubicki-Flick on curriculum, assessment and effective instruction strategies.
• English Language Arts/Social Studies Council: 149 educators from 31 districts attended
this newly merged council. In addition to receiving updates from the CSDE, participants shared knowledge on topics like self-health, technology and best practices in reading and writing, among others.
• Math Council: 64 educators from 27 districts
participated regularly, receiving up-to-date information, resources and professional development around assessment, accountability and math progressions.
• Regional Staff Development Council (RSDC): Hosted educators from 36 districts at
monthly meetings, and weekly meetings after school closures, where they received updates on state education initiatives from CSDE officials, and engaged in regional collaborations around professional learning opportunities, current challenges and shared resources.
• Science Council: 91 educators from 37 districts gained information and resources for improving science curricula, assessment and instruction; educators benefitted from regular CSDE updates.
“The kids who participate in the
[EASTCONN’s Planting Pals] grant have more self-confidence, are more likely to celebrate who they are as individuals; they learn coping skills and strategies that can be used and implemented for life. I can’t say enough about the benefits of this grant.” – Jennifer Vocatura, Teacher, Plainfield Public Schools
149 Educators from 31 EASTCONN-member school districts attended our newly merged English Language Arts/Social Studies Council this year EASTCONN Annual Board Update 2021
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LEADING & LEARNING | HIGHLIGHTS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS | 2020-2021
PLANS & IMPLICATIONS FOR 2021-2022
PERSONALIZED, COMPETENCYBASED LEARNING
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL & ACADEMIC LEARNING (SEAD)
As the need to re-engage students in our region and state grows, we will focus on supporting districts in research-proven processes that emphasize student agency, as well as the development of Portrait of a Learner and a comprehensive plan to guide their journey. Supports will include jobembedded coaching by Education Fellows.
We will continue to deepen professional learning with core elements of SEAD. Building on the EASTCONN theory of action, we’ll strive to adapt and implement evidence-based practices for academic, social and emotional learning across all grades, and provide professional support to teachers and leaders to promote sustainability.
STRATEGIC PLANNING WITH DISTRICTS
We will engage multiple stakeholders in identifying priorities and developing action plans to accomplish specific goals and outcomes. Based on the inquiries received this spring, we expect requests for our facilitation to grow as districts confront fiscal, COVID-19 and programmatic challenges at the local level.
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FAMILY ENGAGEMENT
Given the traumatic experience of COVID-19 for families, we will focus on engaging families in certainty, clarity and consistency around fully reopening schools; their role in employing high-impact strategies linked to learning; and supporting family needs.
MATH WORKSHOPS
Building upon the benefits of the workshop model in engaging students and developing student agency, we will focus on extending these best practices to math. We will drive sustainability by providing professional learning with national experts to support implementation with in-district coaching.
EASTCONN Annual Board Update 2021